What You Should Be Watching, the Independence Day Edition

The Fourth of July is all about fireworks and liberation, and so, sort of, is MAGIC MIKE XXL. Good-natured, sexy, and yet, as I say in my full review (click here), there is something undeniably wholesome about Channing Tatum’s animal magnetism. He’s the boy next door we all dreamed about having for a neighbor, whether we wanted to be him, or just wanted him.

More serious, but with a biting wit, DOPE, by Rick Famuyima, is pure genius (full review, click here). A subtle, profane, philosophically visceral dissection of modern culture from the geek point of view, it’s a slap in the face that hurts SO good. If you haven’t seen his debut feature, THE WOOD, now is the time to check that out, too.

If you have been putting off seeing Melissa McCarthy tearing up the screen in Paul Feig’s SPY, I can only ask that you stop denying you this comedic delight that spoofs rom-coms, spy flicks, and action movies with sly impunity. Why do I love this film? Click here to find out why.

INFINITELY POLAR BEAR, a semi-autobiographical film by Maya Forbes is a funny, heart-breaking, and honest look at mental illness. Far from a downer, though, it celebrates familial bonds with compassion, intelligence, and a performance by Mark Ruffalo as the bi-polar father taking charge of his young daughters that deserves an Oscar(tm) nomination. My conversation with Forbes can be found here.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, we come to a genre that I call big dumb fun, and a film that perfectly exemplifies that, SAN ANDREAS. It doesn’t want to be taken seriously, but for action-adventure, great special effects, and a girl saving the guys for a change, it’s a terrific popcorn flick. I explain allhere.